BLACKBURN ROVERS assistant manager Mark Bowen is the bookies' favourite to take over at Norwich City.

The former Canaries player, who starred at Carrow Road for nine years making 399 appearances, is currently 4/1 to replace Nigel Worthington, who was sacked at the weekend.

And rumours from East Anglia suggest Bowen could form a managerial partnership with former player Ian Crook, who is currently coaching in Australia.

But Rovers chairman John Williams said he wasn't aware of the link and refused to comment on the speculation.

In 2002, in a survey to mark the club's centenary, Norwich fans voted Bowen the club's best ever left-back and put him in the club's all-time XI'.

And he will be forever remembered for scoring the winning goal for the Canaries against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup back in October 1993.

Norwich chief executive Neil Doncaster revealed the club have "already received an encouraging number of inquiries and expressions of interest" in the vacant managerial post.

But he refused to be drawn on potential candidates.

He said: "We have said the process of finding a new manager has begun," he said. "I won't be speculating on who that might be, but what I can say is that we have already received an encouraging number of inquiries and expressions of interest.

"It's very important we move forward, together as one, and get the right man in the job and get on with the business of turning this season around."

Coach Martin Hunter has been placed in temporary charge and is one of the early favourites for the post, along with Bowen, Alex McLeish and Alan Curbishley.